Yo-Yo Nitrates up, nitrates down etc..

[Dankrencisz]

Some days the test tube looks like a blaze orange hunting vest other days it's as yellow as your pee after you take your Flintstone vitamins (yellow=zero)

Ammonia is zero
Nitrate between 20-40-off the charts
Salinity 1.025
Temp 78
Kent trace minerals
Reef accelerator

Tank is 3 weeks old but it was built with partially live rock and 1/2 seeded sand.

3 damsels
Cabbage leather
Toadstool

I'm OCD and ADHD so these numbers are driving me nuts. Lol. So is it safe to assume this is perfectly normal?

[shifty51008]

I am guessing your using the api test because of the color, ime these tests go all over the place, especially if you dont shake the crap out of bottle 2. I would suggest getting a salifert or elos nitrate kit.

[brad_G]

+1. My exact thoughts as I was reading the op.

[Dankrencisz]

The API test kit is absolutely horrible to read. Will be replacing it with the other testers when I'm finished with the bottles. 10 drops, shake. 10 drops, shake. Wait 5 minutes. It's like being a chemist.

[shifty51008]

Most other kits arnt much diffrent lol the salifert you add 1ml water, 4 drops of A and 1 level scoop of B, swirl for 30 sec and wait 3 min.

[Dankrencisz]

I know that somewhere down the road I'll end up getting a digital probe of some sort. Hard numbers, not shades of a color. I usually ask my kids or wifey what color they think it is as I hold the card next to the tube. I generally get 3 different answers. It's all open to interpretation I guess.

As long as the ammonia is zero that's all that matters (I guess)

[Breadman03]

Originally Posted by Dankrencisz

It's like being a chemist.

That's exactly what it is. We are using chemical reactions to determine chemical content levels in a solution.

There is a company developing a monitoring system that uses replaceable cartridges and will display real time readings. I forget their name, though.

ETA: Found it! Mindstream Aquarium Monitoring System. I hope it is compatible with Apex.

[froggernutz]

API nitrate tester second bottle has crystals in it,I hit mine on the bottom against the wall and keep shaking,also I've always have high nitrates 10-40 never have any problems,I feed on the heavy side.My corals all have great color.My phosphates have been as high as .5 still
fine.

[Dankrencisz]

I'll make sure to shake the #2 bottle like mad. Been testing daily watching the numbers go up and down. Recording all my parameters in a ledger book to keep track.

[Dankrencisz]

was zero yesterday. This baffles me.

[danil]

Originally Posted by Dankrencisz

I know that somewhere down the road I'll end up getting a digital probe of some sort. Hard numbers, not shades of a color. I usually ask my kids or wifey what color they think it is as I hold the card next to the tube. I generally get 3 different answers. It's all open to interpretation I guess.

As long as the ammonia is zero that's all that matters (I guess)

I agree with everyone. You have to get better test kit. I personally like Red Sea one. Here is link to BRS http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-se...t-no3-po4.html

Unfortunately not all parameters can be measured with digital devices in our hobby (or they are expensive). Nitrates being one of them. So you got to stuck with chemistry for now

[shifty51008]

Originally Posted by danil

Unfortunately not all parameters can be measured with digital devices in our hobby (or they are expensive). Nitrates being one of them. So you got to stuck with chemistry for now

oh you can check nitrates digitaly, but spendy.

http://www.marinedepot.com/American_...TEMOID-vi.html

[Dankrencisz]

Yeah, my wife would kick my dupa if I spent that cash on a probe. I'll stick with the 10 drops and shake test until the bottle runs out. Then I'll get the better testing kit.

[danil]

Originally Posted by shifty51008

oh you can check nitrates digitaly, but spendy.

http://www.marinedepot.com/American_...TEMOID-vi.html

have you read reviews for that thing?

[Dankrencisz]

Before and after 10% water change.

[Mg4life0331]

I had the same thing happen. I think I wasn't shaking the living hell out of bottle #2. I got tired of it and bought and elos and that API never duplicates itself while the elos did. The elos also told me I was in a better range than I thought.

I keep the API one for my QT so I can test for ammonia. But I'm a paranoid OCD person so I water change like a mad man no matter what it says.

[shifty51008]

Originally Posted by danil

have you read reviews for that thing?

Yeah, i know about the bad reviews. I was just stating there are digital readers for nitrate, never said they work well

[Dankrencisz]

Checked again this morning while the tank was "asleep" and it's lower than last nights reading.

Thinking the more I check it the faster I'll use that test kit up and get the better one. :0)

[Art13]

Do yourself a favor and get rid of the api and get salifert or anything else. I got an api test kit when i started, worked for ammonia and nitrites, when i started reading nitrates (followed the directions) it kept coming up i had 80ppm nitrates. Like a madman for two weeks i was doing excessive water changes and didn't change the tests. Got the salifert, i had 10ppm nitrate….

[cjobo]

Glad I stumbled across this thread...I've been dealing with 'high' and fluctuating nitrate results too (40-80), and based on the comments here I think I know why. Time to rest the shaking arm and get a different kind of test kit.

[Dankrencisz]

Alright then, next trip to the LFS I'll grab a better test kit. Was gonna buy the Reef Master kit but I'll consider that a bust.

[shifty51008]

the cal, and alk api kits are good for getting a quick reading, they always measure close to my saliferts. nitrates are a pain in the butt and ammonia is fairly decent.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Nothing to do with the fact that you're cycling your tank with LIFE? 3 weeks old is barely breathing on it's own yet..... Either you're cycling with fish.... or you just reached the 3 week mark and dumped 3 fish and some corals into the tank at the same time?

Personally I would expect your numbers to be all over the map for another few weeks.

Menace

[Dankrencisz]

3 weeks old but was never really dead. Just a start over. Let a bunch of water evaporate out of it. Always had water movement. Was never really "dead" plus I seeded it with live sand a few huge pieces of cured rock.

In another topic on the subject said something about a sponge in a filter. I have a Fluval running until my diy sump cures. It's full of sponge and filter floss. I'll pull that out when I get home. See what happens.

[Twostepper4041]

I personally just got he Red Sea text kit.... Money well spent.... It's dead nut accurate